The investor relations section of a website is required for a public life science company and is crucial, as it provides a platform to showcase evergreen content, such as company news announcements, presentations and webcasts, each of which is critical to telling a compelling story to your primary audiences. In addition to the full spectrum of elements that are required by the SEC, including management and board biographies, a corporate governance section and stock information, among others, best practices for the IR portion of the website includes ensuring that all information is presented in a user-friendly and easily accessible format. An effective IR section of the website is an important tool for building trust, demonstrating credibility, engaging current and potential investors, investment bankers, potential business development partners and others.
User Experience
A professional, user-friendly design is essential for the investor relations section of your website. Ensure that your IR website is easy to access, beginning from the homepage. The interface should have intuitive navigation as you want to ensure when an investor or analyst visits your site, they can easily find the information they are looking for.
Essential Elements for an Investor Relations Website
Investor Relations Landing page
The investor relations website landing page should provide a brief, clear, compelling overview of your company, with an About section and/or Mission and Vision, both of which may be a repeat of what is on the site’s main page. The landing page should also include a live view of your stock quote information and direct access to the following sections:
Recent Press Releases/In the News
Provide a list of the current year’s announcements in reverse chronological order and the ability to view releases by year, as appropriate. The list should include the date and full title, with a click through to the full release in pdf and html formats.
You may also consider including recent any media coverage of the company that can be accessed either via web links to the individual publication or by clicking on a pdf document. It may also be helpful to provide a section for media resources, which would include high-resolution logos, management headshots, mechanism of action graphics, etc.
Events & Presentations
Another essential element of your investor relations website is the events and presentations section. Make sure to provide a list with links to all upcoming and past events including presentations at investment banking or other investor-related conferences, scientific or medical conferences, and earnings conference calls. Where possible, include pdf copies of relevant poster presentations.
It is important to keep an updated company presentation available on the investor relations website. On a regular basis, the presentation should be refreshed based on the achievement of milestones or other relevant corporate updates, so that the most current information is available. If you hold an R&D Day, provide access to that presentation here, as well.
Financials and SEC Filings
One of the most crucial elements of your investor relations website, and often the primary reason for visits by investors and analysts, is the public financial information section, including annual reports, proxies, quarterly financial reports, and all other SEC filings. The SEC filings section is typically a feed directly from the Edgar database.
Analyst Coverage
If your company is covered by any sell-side analysts, include a page which lists the analysts by name and firm. Do not include any contact information, ratings or price targets.
Corporate Governance
As noted earlier, public life science companies are required to include certain corporate governance documents including links to the company’s management team and Board of Directors. Specific corporate governance documents also include committee charters for the Board of Directors, such as the audit, compensation, nominating and corporate charters, the code of business conduct and ethics, as well as corporate governance guidelines. Whistleblower contact information may also be provided.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Section
Most companies also provide a section with FAQs. This should include stock transfer information, auditors, exchange listing and CUSIP number as well as the answers to other typical questions an investor may be interested in, such as date of incorporation, when the company began trading and how to access the latest news and financial reports.
Contact Information
Make sure that relevant contact information is available on the homepage of your investor relations website. This should include your investor relations team email or the email of a specific person at your company.
Subscribe Now: IR Information in your Inbox
It is often best practice to include a “subscribe now” option within the investor relations section of the website. This feature will allow visitors to stay in the loop and remain informed as your company progresses. It may also motivate them to frequent your site.
Investor Relations Websites with Rx Communications
With more than 20 years of experience, Rx Communications can support all things investor relations including your investor relations website. Our team will assist in selecting a vendor to host your investor relations website, while ensuring that all the content is relevant, engaging and most importantly, consistent with your company’s messaging.
